Vampire Sweepstakes!
by Arilline
Summary: Enter now! You could win your very own Vampire! No purchase necessary.  Not responsible for loss of blood or broken hearts. "Happy Birthday Dawn!" Winning a vampire leads Dawn unto truths unknown and danger unimaginable. No, really.
1. Chapter 1

Vampire Sweepstakes!

_Arilline_ : PG-13

Chapter One: Congratulations!

"Happy Birthday!" Kelly fairly boomed in my ear.

"Ack!" was my truly witty response as I struggled not to topple over and out of my seat. Luckily my other best-est friend was right behind me and caught the chair in her hands; unlucky she must have been annoyed with me—shock that, best-est pals shouldn't annoy so easily—and righted my chair, and me with it, just a tad bit too jarringly.

"How many time do I have to tell you not to balance on the back two chair legs like that?" Reika asked in her clear, collected voice. It was a rhetorical question, that. I know, because last time I answered, "37?" she just looked at me and shock her head. The thing is it was the 37th time, so she just didn't want a real answer.

"At least once more, Miss Swann," I replied, quoting her favorite movie. That got a little smile out of her. Ha! See? Best-est Pals Forever!

"Dawn!" Kelly pouted, drawing my attention back too her.

"Yes?" I eyed her suspiciously, seeing as how she had tried to murder me just now. I mean, why else would she scream in my ear like that when I was tipping over the two back legs of my chair? Clearly she was trying to get rid of me, or send me to the nurse's office. She was always saying she wanted to sit next to Reika. Huh?

"Happy Birthday!" she proclaimed again, only this time I was ready for her and I smiled as she shoved a large floppy present my way. It was very messily wrapped and I took it gingerly, lest it unwrap by itself then and there.

"Ah, thanks, Kells," I said as I looked for the one piece of tape that held all the wrapping together. Yep, there is was. Wow, never really seen that before. I untaped the ONE piece of tape and it all fell away, and my present flopped helplessly onto the desk.

The three of us stared at it. Reika sideways, a small smile creeping onto her face; Kelly beaming down at me and I blinking down at the book that had slipped out of the wrapping paper, which I still held up above in one hand.

Inside I was scream with joy—like this: OH, MY GOD! THANKS SO MUCH KELLY, BESTEST PAL IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE. MUHA! I LOVE YOU, SOB SOB etc.—on the outside whoever, I snatched the book off my desk and stuffed it, though very carefully, into my school bag. And said, "Thanks Kells, I love it." I looked around nervously, seeing if anyone had noticed the cover of the book. Lately, it seemed like is was a crime to like the book, everyone who thought they were smarter than the average bear said it was crap and the teachers were, ah, less understanding. A girl had been caught reading it last week and, well, lets just say she wasn't back to school yet. I hoped her hair still grows.

"It's totally cool, Dawn. The onset pictures are especially—" I cut her off with a huge hug, before she got us in a huge mess.

"I love it, thanks." Happy to see that she was beaming at having done it good job I sat back down and turned to Reika. "So...did you forget it was my birthday?" I asked casually.

Which is a laugh, let me tell you, because I forgot my own birthday. And with good reason, something horrible always happens on my birthday. Just last year, I confessed to Erick Windling that I liked him and he a) laughed in my face right then and there, and b) made a public announcement at lunch saying that he didn't like fat girls with orange hair, while he looked right at me the whole time. Yeah, I think a little piece of me died last year on my birthday. For one thing, no more human guys. Fin. I am done with them. From now on I am sticking with imaginary boys—preferentially the undead kind.

So, as you can see, I really don't want to remember that today is the one year anniversary of me getting my heart broken—then shredded. With good reason I think. But then, it was my heart, so I might be a tap bit bias.

"Well," Reika replied, opening her note book and flipping through it. "I didn't forget get, but I didn't really get you something er—concrete, like Kells. I got you a chance."

"A what?" Kelly and I both asked at the same time in the same kind of confused voice. Really best pals who get you like that are great—and rare. Kelly and I smirked at each other and then turned back Reika, who was holding a plain white envelope. The only adornment on the envelop was her graceful, loopy writing that proclaimed:

_To Dawn_

_From Reika_

_I hope you win; Happy Birthday!_

"Er," again, me with my witty remarks; I blinked at the envelop. "I have to win my present? From you?" As you can see I was very very very confused.

"Here. Open it and see." Reika slapped the envelop into my hand. Raising an eyebrow I turned the envelop and lifted the back flap, and pulled out a paper. It was a computer print out and looked something like this:

**Win your own Vampire! Enter now!**

**Vampire Sweepstakes!**

**Enter now! You could win your very own Vampire! No purchase necessary. [Not responsible for loss of blood or broken hearts.]**

**Congratulations Dawn Charolett! You have been officially entered in our sweepstakes! Please keep in mind that many will enter but only one will win. Should you win, you will be notified via the telephone number that you have provided.**

**Thank you!**

"Really?" I asked no one in particular.

"Well, I don't know," Reika said, pulling a strand of black hair off of her face and hooking it behind her ear. "But I didn't really know what else to get you. And, wouldn't you know it, while I was surfing around in the web I came across this ad and I click on it, and well, I thought it was pretty funny and, heck, it might even be true."

"What would I do with said vampire if I won?" I wondered out loud, reading the paper again.

Not surprisingly, no one knew the answer to that.

"Well," I said, folding the paper back up and sticking it back into the envelop. "I like it, thanks, Reika. I hope I win, who knows maybe it will be some actor who will act like a vampire for a day or something? Wouldn't be too bad, huh?"

Reika smiled and Kelly snatched the envelop out of my hands, and read it through herself, frowning down at it the whole time.

"Best. Birthday. Ever." I said, as the teacher walked into the classroom and told everyone to settle down. Then she said we were getting our tests back. "So far," I added under my breath.

-:-

**AN: **Just having some fun, nothing too serious here. Review are lovely, though. Actually, they are more akin to crack, so... Review? ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Happy Birthday?

"Wow," Reika said, true astonishment in her voice. Wow, indeed, I thought, there isn't much that can impress Reika.

"Yeah, wow," Kelly said, the same note of astonishment evident in her voice.

I groaned, and slammed my head against the door of my locker. "The curse of my birthday lives on." I slammed my head again.

"Stop that." Reika pulled me away from the locker, clearly not wanting me to hurt myself anymore. "You'll dent the locker and we won't be able to open it." Well... maybe not.

"My life sucks!" I whined, sliding down the length of the wall until I was a puddle of mush on the floor. "Leave me here, I'm where I belong. No, no. Really. I think I'll be safer here for the rest of the day." I hid my face in hands, trying to block out the world in general.

"Or the rest of your life," was Kelly's helpful suggestion. I eyed her suspiciously. "Thanks Kells." Not. "By the way, are you trying to get rid of me for some reason?" Good God, maybe the curse of my birthday had turned one of my best-est pals against me?

"Huh?" Kelly responded. Ha! She was definitely up to something.

"Hey Dawn, nice to see you finally found your place in life! Ha ha ha!" Erick called across the hallway, and then high five-ed some other guy. I hate that guy. I don't know what I ever saw in him.

"Come on, you have to get to over it, so you got a zero, it's not the end." Reika said, trying to pull me to my feet.

"Oh, _you_ come on, don't try to make me feel better. The curse lives on, and I am not moving from here." I crossed my arms over my chest and pretended I was a rock, no, a mountain. I will not be moved!

Kelly took my other arm and pulled; who knew a mountain could be moved my two sixteen year olds? "If you don't move one of the teachers will pass by and see you and give you detention and then the curse really will live on. Don't you want to go to the movies with us?"

"Movies?" I asked as they managed to pull me to my feet.

"Yes," Reika and Kelly answered. "It is your birthday."

"Oh. Okay... Do I get my own popcorn?" I took one last look at the test that had been passed back in class and at the HUGE zero. Ah, well. Not as bad as last year.

"Of course!" Kelly exclaimed at the same time Reika said, "No."

"Boo! I want my own popcorn!" I called as I raced away from them. "I want popcorn, I want popcorn!"

Bam! Oh, shoot. I slammed into Mr. Marchen, Math teacher and totally drool worthy. Too bad I had just made him drop all his papers and spilled his coffee. Great. "Sorry, Mr. Marchen!"

He only gurgled something, frantically pulling his shirt away from his body. Oh, I guess that coffee was hot, huh?

"Dawn! Do something!" Reika called as she and Kelly ran over to us.

"Something cold!" Kelly called.

"Oh!" I pulled the top off my water bottle and splashed it all over Mr. Marchen's front. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Not as sorry as your going to be, my stupid brain said. Gah! Shut up, brain!

Kelly and Reika got there just in time to see me go completely white and Mr. Marchen turn completely red.

"Ah," Kelly said, pulling me slightly back from Mr. Marchen, while Reika stepped between us and asked Mr. Marchen if he was okay.

See, the thing is, Mr. Marchen, while completely and utterly handsome, was a bit of a hot head who had been known to trow a desk out the window. Just once, mind, but still.

"Girls," he said, rather calmly I thought, though his teeth were a bit clenched. "My room. Lunch. Clean this up and bring me the papers." And then he walked away, stiffly, yeah, but away from me and my neck.

That kind of strength should be applauded.

So I began to.

"Don't!" Reika snapped and Kelly smacked my hands. Ouch.

Finally, Mr. Marchen rounded the corner at the end of the hall and Kelly and Reika gave a collective sigh. I followed their lead.

Sigh!

Oops. "Ow!"

"Dork."

"Reika, don't hit her."

I pouted at Reika, and hid behind Kelly. "Kells..."

"Look at all this," Reika said, looking down at the mess on the floor where math handouts swam in spilled coffee.

"Ew, math." Kelly picked up a paper by the corner with pinkie and thumb, like it was toxic.

"Um, that's not even stained with coffee." I pointed out.

"So?" Kelly glared at me. I couldn't help it. I laughed. And then Kelly laughed. And then the both of us were laughing hysterically and tears were streaming down our faces.

"Oi! What the hell is so funny?" Reika sniffed, looking offended by our out burst.

"Come on," I began brokenly.

"Reika! She threw water on Mr. Marchen and it was totally justified!" Kelly, thank the gods, was able to put into words.

"Yeah," I said, between giggles. "I can't get detention. Ha ha ha ha."

Reika's stern face twitched and then she was smiling and then she was laughing too.

-:-

"You have detention." Mr. Marchen proclaimed.

I think my eye twitched. "Er, what?"

"DE-TEN-TION," he said carefully, like I was slow or something. Really.

"But, Mr. Marchen, she had to spill the water on you! You were burning!" Thanks Kells, I though, because really, my own mouth wouldn't open. Or was it close? I think my mouth was hanging open from the shock of this 'DE-TEN-TION.'

"Oh, it's not about the water, Miss Clearwater. It's about the running in the halls, and about the spilling HOT coffee on me." He returned calmly. Hey, who was this person and what had he done with our Math teacher?

"Mr. Marchen, please." Reika stepped forward. "Look, today is Dawn's birthday—" I smiled to give added affect, Mr. Marchen did not look impressed—"and we really want to take her out for a movie and dinner and um, girl stuff."

"She might be getting a vampire, too," Kelly added.

We pinched her. "Ow!"

"I don't care whose birthday it is, Miss Souh. I said detention. But since I am not a completely heartless guy, I'll tell you what. All three of you have detention, so you can all spend today together."

"What?"

Mr. Marchen, who is completely heartless, smirked at us and then shooed us out. "3:15, girls and not a minute later." And then he slammed the door in our faces.

"I HATE MY BIRTHDAY!" I screamed, hiding my face in my hands.

"I HATE MATH!" Kelly screamed, tears in her voice.

"I hate Mr. Marchen," Reika said softly.

-:-

"You have to be here one whole hour." Mr. Marchen checked his watch. "You will not talk, you will not read, you will not do homework. You will sit here and not talk, and just wait."

"Isn't that cruel and unusual punishment?" Kelly mused, a slight frown on her face. Reika and I shared a look. I held back a snicker.

"It's detention, Miss Clearwater."

"Ah, well. Better than math class!" Kelly smiled at us. We gave her blank expressions for a split second and then burst out laughing. Something Mr. Marchen did not take very well, in my opinion.

"ENOUGH!" He roared. Really, over reacting much? "Time starts now."

So there you go. Worst. Birthday. Ever.

-:-

A/N: Wow, I guess humor and Vampires don't go together? Or Dawn is just unlikeable? Or my writing really sucks? (Bit of a pun there.) Don't really know what it is exactly that the people who read this didn't like it, but I am assuming they didn't. So this is Chapter two and I have chapter 3 written (where we meet our vampire!) so I'll post that next week—I was planning on going on a weekly schedule—and then, I don't know, I guess I'll work on another story and leave this one to die. :(

I would say "Review!" but that didn't work last time. So until next week!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Your New Vampire!

Some forty seven minutes into detention my phone rang. There we were, all three of us staring into space, imagining how else we could have been enjoying my birthday if only I wasn't cursed when...

_"Y__ou hate cuz I'm a rockstar, a rockstar, a pretty little problem, uh-huh, you hate me cuz I'm everything that you ever wanted to be and that I'm lying cuz I love it when you lookin at me cuz I'm a rockstar, a rock-"_ I dove into my backpack and pulled out my phone, opening it and putting it to my ear even as Mr. Marchen jumped to his feet and raced towards me.

"Hello?" I answered at the same time that Mr. Marchen yelled, "No phones!"

"Congratulations! Dawn Charolett, you won-" and then Mr. Marchen snatched the phone away from me, leaving my ear slightly cold.

"I said no phones, Miss Charolett!" He snapped my phone shut and marched back to his desk, opened a drawer and dropped my phone into to it. He then glared at me.

"But I won something!" I cried, jumping to my feet. "I don't even know what it is!"

Next to me Kelly gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth, producing a loud "smack" sound that made Reika wince.

"Sit down, Miss Charolett. You will get your phone back when detention comes to an end."

"But-" I began to protest.

"Or, I could keep it and handed over to the principle tomorrow morning and then we will see when you get it back?"

I plopped back down onto the chair and glared and pouted down at the table. Jerk, I though—among other things that are better left not repeated.

I looked over at Kelly and saw her motion over to Reika. I gave her a questioning look and then looked over to Reika, who was making some sort of weird signs with her fingers. She had her two pointer fingers, curled slightly, on either side of her mouth, and was wiggling them about. Huh?

Odd, who knew that detention could make Reika go insane so quickly? Hahaha, it almost looked like she had fangs. Fangs! Like a vampire-

"Oh!" I exclaimed, my mouth a little round O.

Mr. Marchen's head snapped back up. Crap.

I won! Did that mean I won my vampire? Is that what that phone call was about? Oh, why couldn't I have heard the last part? But—what else could I have won? I smiled back at Reika and made the little finger fangs like hers, fairly bouncing in my seat.

"What are you doing, Miss Charolett? Miss Souh? Miss Clearwater?" I looked over at Kelly and sure enough she was doing the little finger fangs and a little dance too. Haha. We must have looked like complete idiots! "Stop it, the three of you or I'll give you detention tomorrow again!"

Sourpuss. All three of us stopped and sat with our hands clasped in front of us, perfect angels for the next ten minutes.

-:-

"I've never won anything before!" I informed Kelly and Reika.

"Yes you have," Reika said, looking over my shoulder. I flipped open my phone and the Hello Kitty background lit up. I hit a button that took me to Incoming Calls and then went down to the last call received, at 4:03pm.

"Well, not a vampire." I hit the call button and returned the call.

"How many people win vampires?" Reika mused.

"Put it on speaker!" Kelly demanded. I clicked here and there and soon we were all hearing the ringing on the other end. Then it all went horribly wrong.

_Beep. Beep. "We're sorry, but the number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check to see if you dialed the number correctly and try again."_

"No!" I moaned, stabbing the End Call button and dialing again. Again, nothing but the operator telling me I had missed my vampire. Shoot.

I felt like crying. So I did.

Reiko tried dialing the phone number again while Kelly patted my back.

"I never won a vampire before!" I wailed. "Now thanks to stupid, stinky Mr. Marchen I lost the only one I ever did win. I hope his dick falls off."

"Mr. Marchen's or the vampire?" Kelly asked, and I burst out laughing while still crying.

"Mr. Marchen's, silly," Reika answered. "It's not use, Dawn, the phone line is down. Sorry. Hey, you want me to buy you another present? Now that I think about it, this was sort of crappy of me." She looked sort of ashamed, like she was sorry she had given me a vampire! What? Silly girl, it wasn't her fault Mr. Marchen was so—bitter.

"Mr. Marchen ows you a vampire," Kelly proclaimed. I smiled at her and shook my head.

Wiping away my tears, I took my phone back from Reika and put it in my pocket. "Nah, I don't want another present. This one was great, I mean, who knew I would even win? I still loved it. Now I just want to get to that movie."

Reika smiled. "Sure. And tell you what. You get your own popcorn."

"Yay!" I threw my arms around her neck.

-:-

At the theater, the three of us looked up in shock and horror at smoldering building that had once been our town's only beloved theater.

"A fire?" I asked the world in general. "Really?"

Reika sort of gave a nervous laugh, saw that we weren't going to follow lead and continued to look bleakly at yet another sign that my birthday was cursed.

"Your birthday burnt down the theater?" Kelly look askew at me.

I shrugged. Really what could I say? This- there were no words.

"Excuse me!" Reika called to a fire man nearly by who was rolling up a giant hose. "What happened?"

The fire man dragged an arm across his forehead, ridding himself of sweat and then answered. "Looks like the popcorn machine caught fire and then it just spread too fast to do anything."

I gave a barely audible squeak, and my horror must have shown on my face, because Reika and Kelly fairly dragged me away.

Didn't matter, I thought, my birthday had already burnt down the theater.

-:-

After that we sort of just wondered around, not really making any plans—in case something else burned down. At some point we found our selfs in a café and I was handed a triple helping of double chocolate ice scream. Then we found ourselves in a video rental booth and I was asked to approve a movie. By the time the sun was going down we were making our way to my house.

I just hoped it hadn't burnt down.

"Don't say that!" Reika scowled, glaring sideways at me.

Oops, guess I said that out loud?

"Yeah, that theater was a fire haphazard," Kelly explained. "You know, 'cause it was made of... wood."

"You're right," I said, grasping at straws. "Who builds things out of wood?"

Kelly and Reika just looked at each other.

"My house is built out of wood," I said to no one in particular.

Kells gave a small snort and Reika just gave a long drawn out sigh.

"Well, it is." I speed up to go a little a head of them, planning on have my front door open when they caught up. I was half way up the little pathway that lead to our front door when I noticed somebody was standing there.

I wondered if maybe my mom wasn't home, a small frown on my face.

"Hello?" I called, stopping in my tracks. Reika and Kelly were right behind me, even thought I could have sworn they were further behind.

The person turned at the sound of my voice and the motion detection light turned on, trowing a shower of light onto their face.

On my right, Kelly drew in her breath in a small gasp of appreciation; on my left, Reika gave a small growl (wait, a growl?) in the back of her throat and took a half a step forward standing between me and the stranger.

Me? Well, I just stood there, gawking like an idiot, I am sure.

Because standing in front of the three of us was, simply, the most gloriously beautiful boy I had ever seen.

"Hello?" He called back, taking a step towards us. His voice was the most hauntingly musical thing I have ever heard. My legs turned to jelly at the sound of it.

"My name is Caleb," he continued, still making his way over to us. "I am looking for Ms. Dawn Charolett?"

"I'm she. Her. Er, I mean, I'm Dawn, Dawn Charolett," I said in possibly the girl-est voice I have ever produced. Kells, the little fiend, gave me a small shove and I stumbled forward.

"Dawn?" Caleb said in, if it was even possible, an even sexier tone of voice.

"Yes?" I squeaked, looking up at his black, black eyes.

He took step closer to me, took my right hand in his and bowed his head to plant a small, but oh so hot kiss on the back of my hand. Then he looked up at me from under his lashes and gave the wickedest grin I have ever seen, flashing his fangs at my wide eyes.

"I am your Vampire."

-:-

AN: Dun, dun, dun! I am very proud of the end of this chapter. ;) And I want to thank my awesome reviewers! **KlaraBell**, my first reviewer, thanks again! **rosyreyes** &** Houseofnightfanclub **& **Mrs. Frank Hardy**, you've no idea how happy I get when I read your reviews! I am not used to the whole replying back to a review via the email, but I am going to try to use it more.

Does that ending count as a cliff hanger? Oh and five point to whoever knows the name of or where Dawn's ring tone is from!

Reviews are lovely, guys! See you next week!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Where to Keep Your Vampire!

"I am your Vampire."

There was complete silence for a beat. And then—

"Aha!" I coughed out a giggle and the, "Hahahahahaha," I was off like a hyena!

Caleb raised an eyebrow and I snatched my back.

_ Shut up! Shut up! _My brain screamed, but I couldn't stop. I had this mass of butterflies in my stomach and they wouldn't stop fluttering around, and so, of course, all I was doing was laughing like a loon!

I mean, how was I to know what the appropriate response to meeting your own vampire was?

"Dawn?" Reika said sternly, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from my vampire.

Ahh! I had a Vampire! He even said so himself!

"Ow!" Reika had pinched me in order to get me to shut up. I didn't know if I should pinch her back or kiss her for finally getting me to stop looking like an idiot.

So I did both.

"EEEEKKK!" was Reika's outraged response to me kissing her cheek and then pinching it.

Hahaha, vampire gifting best friends are so awesome!

"Stop that!" Well, until they start slapping you away for giving them a kiss. Really!

Caleb was just looking at us with a mildly amused look on his face.

Sigh. That beautiful face.

Kelly on the other hand had come up behind him out of nowhere and was circling him like some sort of vulture, looking his up and down. Kells didn't seem impressed.

"Soooo, you're the Vampire?" she questioned, pocking him in the shoulder with the tip of her finger.

Next to me Reika hissed, pulling in her breath between her teeth.

Caleb took it much worse. He snarled deep in his throat and pulled his lips back in a sneer, fully exposing his fangs in a purely threating way. No charming Vampire there. Nope.

He glared murder at Kells. "Who is this 'Fly-girl'?"

I saw Reika wince out of the corner of my eye. Well color me confused! All of this was happening so fast I was getting whip-lash.

Kelly gave a dainty little snort, and returned his look with a smugly amused smile. "My name is Kelly Clearwater."

"A Clearwater?" Caleb said, looking _her_ up and down, before shrugging away her presence.

Oh—kay...

The charming smile returned to my Vampire's face when he turned to look at Reika and me, completely ignoring Kells. She didn't seem to care.

"Then you must be Mistress Reika Souh." Caleb bowed to Reika.

"Wait," I said, frowning down at the top of his head. "How do you know Reika?"

It was Reika's turn to give a nervous laugh. She wasn't very good at it, poor girl; I was going to have to teach her the art, because she really just sounded like she was coughing. It probably didn't help that the three of us were looking at her expectantly.

"Oh, don't be silly, Dawn!" Reika said a bit too loudly, then gave a pained giggle. Really, she could use some help from me in the giggling department too. "I was the one who entered you in the contest, remember? That totally explains this..." she let the sentence trail off.

It did totally explain it, actually. But that didn't explain the slight guilt on Reika's face.

Hmmmmmmm.

"So, are we going to go inside or stand here all night?" This from Kells, who seemed too amused for someone who had just pissed off a Vampire not five minutes ago.

"Yes, Dawn, let us retire into the house," Caleb said, turning the full power of those stunning eyes to mine.

"Nooo!" I cried.

All three of them jumped at the sound. Three pair of eyes stared at me wide eyed.

Cue the nervous coughing...now!

"Ahaha cough cough!"

Well, how was I to explain bringing a completely strange boy home, especially one that happened to be a Vampire? On my Birthday?

Not to mention my mom hates anything not completely and absolutely 'Normal' with a capitol 'N'. Yep, even Vampires. Specially Vampires, now that I think about it...

Still, that kinda left us without a place to go to.

Oh! Idea! Ding-ding!

"I think we might be better off at the shed-slash-pool-house around back," I said brightly, hopping this would confuse them enough that they wouldn't argue.

Oh, but calling the shed-slash-pool-house that was a total understatement. It was more like a second living room... with a giant entertainment system. It was my dad's heaven for when when mom was mad at him, so he had totally gone crazy and made it a complete playroom. Haha, and it was perfect for hiding my new Vampire! Yay!

"Sure," Reika said. Looking between me and Caleb, who was looking bit disappointed.

"I'm just going to go inside to get some snacks and let mom know we're here, Okay?"

"You're leaving us?" Caleb started towards me, his hand half extended as if to keep me from leaving.

"Only for a minute." I danced around him and towards the door, past Kells who just raised an eyebrow at me. "I'll see you there!" I smiled and vanished before they could protest.

-:-

I closed the door behind me slowly so that it didn't squeak.

_Squeeeeeeeak..._ Went the door. I turned around to glare at it. It should really watch out, turns out I could set things on fire.

I tried to mentally communicate this to the door.

It seemed unimpressed.

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

Then I slumped back against the door. Today was turning out to be one of the longest days ever!

I tip-toed across the living room for no other reason than because I was knowingly harboring a Vampire. A secret Vampire! Yeah, that was guilt settling in my gut, all nice and comfy, like it knew it was in for a long term. Ugh!

I noticed our cat snoozing on the couch and went over to pet her.

"Hi, Captain Mittens," I whispered, leaning down to scratch her head.

_Hiss!_ Went Captain Mittens, her hair standing up before trying to scratch me with her sharp claws.

I jumped about three feet into the air, snatching my hand back and clutching it to me, but somehow I managed not scream in terror. For some reason I didn't think that would be a good idea with a Vampire just outside the door!

Wait! My Vampire!

I took a sniff of my hand. Did I smell like Vampire? Somehow I don't think my cat would appreciate that very much. As a rule, I think, cats didn't like undead, er, people.

I frowned down at Captain Mittens, but she was cleaning herself and paying me no mind. Like she hadn't just tried to murder me with her claws just now!

"Bad Kitten," I scowled.

She didn't notice.

"No! I don't want her involved with any of _that_! You know how I feel about this. I have made my feelings very clear all along." My mom's raised voice was coming from the kitchen. It was unusual both because she hardly ever raised her voice and because she was eight months pregnant and _shouldn't_ be getting upset enough to raise her voice.

"I don't care what they say, or what their stupid rules are, I just want them away from—" whoever she was talking to must have cut her off because she stopped mid sentence.

Whoever they were they were seriously dead meat! How dare they upset my mom like that!

I tip-toed towards the kitchen, trying to overhear the conversation to know who I was going to hunt down.

"Yes, well I still think it's all bull-sh—"

_Crash!_

"Urg!" I half cried, half gasped. I was flat on my back, groaning while my two terrible little brothers happily bounced up and down on my poor battered body.

"Hey, Dawn!" one of them said in a sing-song voice while I winced under their attack. "Guess who hasn't gotten her birthday punches today?"

"Yeah, Dawn," the other little monster piped in. "You really think you can get away just 'cause you left before we were up?"

"Get off me you little beasts!" I growled through my teeth, squirming to get loose.

"Nah-uh! Not till you hold still!"

"How many is it, Mark?"

"Sixteen," Mark, the little toad, grinned.

"And one for good luck!" Jake cackled madly.

"Better make it two for good luck, Jake, she's got horrible luck!"

Well, they had a point there. Hmm.

Then they started punching me, each one on one arm while I lay there wincing and promising to get them back.

Yeah, I don't really think that's going to help my luck. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

"Mark! Jake! Get off your sister this instant!"

All three of us look up to see mom standing at the kitchen doorway, scowling down at us.

Well, them.

"It's for good luck, mom!" Jake cried.

Mom, thank goodness, was not buying it.

"I said get off her, Jake."

They groaned and got off me reluctantly.

I hissed and got to my feet painfully. There were slight bruises forming on my arms.

Great.

"Go clean your room, both of you," mom said sternly. She waived away their protests and sent them off to their room. I stuck my tongue out at them but they didn't even see.

Booooo!

Mom let out a huge sigh and motioned for me to join her in the kitchen. "Are you Okay, honey?"

"Yeah, I'll just be a bit purple for a couple of days."

"They were just upset that they didn't get to say 'Happy Birth-day' this morning," mom explained. "And so was I." She kissed the top of my head. "Happy Birthday, Dawn."

She tried to hug me. Only, ya' know, there was like a watermelon between us. I mean, my soon to be littlest brother or sister. Mom and Dad hadn't wanted to know which it was. I was hoping for a sister, myself, someone not bent on killing me.

"Uh, Mom?" I said, sucking in my belly to try an accommodate her rather large one.

Mom chuckled a bit when I pointed down between us at her questioning look. "Alright, alright."

It was almost out of my mouth to ask her about the phone call she was on when I overheard her but I managed to keep my mouth shut. Huh, miracle of miracles.

"I didn't think you'd be home yet. I had thought the girls would want to take you out for the night. Reika mentioned it not too long ago."

At the mention of Reika I gave mom a guilty look. 'Cause Reika thoughts lead to Caleb thoughts, and Caleb thought lead to Vamp—_No!_ My brain said.

Luckily mom had walked away from me and had missed the look.

Phew!

"Grandma Mimi called, she wanted to make sure you got her gift. She said to open it right away and call her if you had any questions." Mom picked up a heavy looking mail parcel and handed it over to me.

"Ooooh," I said trying not to sound too ungrateful. "Great." Yeah, that's forced enthusiasm right there.

It's not that Grandma Mimi's presents weren't nice. They weren't, really. They were totally weird actually. I had a collection of them in the truck at the foot of my bed. A trunk I only ever opened to deposit her latest gift and then tried to forget it existed until the next birthday.

Yeah...

I'm a horrible granddaughter.

But what was I to do with a broken silver mirror, anyway? That's what I got for my birthday last year, I didn't really want to remember what else I got in years before.

I took the package from mom and smiled up at her.

"Actually, Kelly and Reika are out back at Dad's secret base, we're going to watch a movie back there."

"Well, why don't you see it here?"

"'Cause it's a horror movie." I said brightly.

Mom huffed out a breath and scrunched up her nose, her green eyes narrowing in distaste. "Really Dawn, I will never understand your fascination with that type of thing."

"You don't have to understand, mom," I said, giving her a peck on the cheek. "You just have to tolerate it!"

-:-

I balanced some bags of chips and sodas on top of Grandma Mimi's still unopened gift while I tried to get a hold of the shed-slash-pool-house's door handle. I don't know why I bothered, dad had the place stocked piled with junk-food!

Sigh. I guess I just like to make things hard for myself.

Yep!

I finally got a hold of the door and stumbled in, closing the door behind me.

Wow, it was like a funeral house in there.

Haha, get it? 'Cause there was a Vampire?

Sigh.

But really, it was.

Kelly and my Vampire where on opposite ends of the room, pointedly ignoring each other and poor Reika was in the middle looking like a harassed referee. Pity for her swelled in me.

Then it all got worse.

Caleb gave a horrible half snarl, half growl of rage and I thought that Kelly had just done something to piss him off again.

But no. His furious gaze was on me and he was off his seat and coming towards me before I could so much as give a squeak of alarm!

-:-

_**A/N: **__Yeah, that's totally a cliff-hanger! But in my defense this is the longest chapter yet... so, yeah. Sorry if this is a bit late, I hadn't really written much of this chapter yet so I have been writing furiously for the last few hours. I've had a crazy week sense I last updated! Went to see the Hunger Games and had two close family birthdays! _

_ Thank you to my reviewers from last chapter!__**KlaraBell, luvsvamps, and sunshine4evr! **__Thank you, thank you! __**KlaraBell and luvsvamps**__ both took a guess at what Dawn's ringtone was, but only __**KlaraBell**__ got it right. It's _Rockstar by Prima J! _It's just a fun and cheeky song that I think fits Dawn at the moment (and that I was kinda in love with when I wrote the chapter)._

_ So, __**KlaraBell**__ has five (5) points! I didn't know what they were for when I issued the challenge but now I decided that whoever had the most points by chapter ten, I think this story will make it till then, will get to request an Omake which is an "extra" from the point of view of their chosen character. Trust me, there are more characters to come and maybe some of you will want to see what goes on in their brains. :) _

_ Finally(!), I don't want to sound like a whiny brat but I would really like some more reviews! ::blushes:: Yeah, I feel like a jerk now, but come on guys I don't bite! I'll help you out with a question in case you don't know what to say._

_**Whose you're favorite character so far? **__No need to tell me why if you don't want. Two points to everyone who answers the question! _

_ Oh! And do any of you play _Draw Something or Words with Friends?_ I am sorely lacking playing partners, so add me if you do! My name is _Arilline, _the same as my pen name._

_ Okay, guys, that's it! (Wow, huge author's note! SORRY!)_

_ Remember, Review!_


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